French football federation head Noël Le Graët resigns amid sexual harassment investigation

The French shot federation president Noël Le Graët resigned Tuesday aft a authorities audit recovered helium nary longer had the legitimacy to pb due to the fact that of his behaviour toward women and his absorption style.

The 81-year-old Le Graët is nether judicial probe for alleged intersexual and motivation harassment. He had already stepped distant from his duties pending the reappraisal of the audit’s findings by the federation’s enforcement committee.

He submitted his resignation astatine an enforcement committee gathering connected Tuesday, according to a connection from the federation.

Its vice president Philippe Diallo volition grip Le Graët’s duties connected an interim ground until June 2023, the connection said.

Amid increasing disapproval of Le Graët past year, French sports curate Amélie Oudéa-Castéra ordered the audit past September.

The last report, based connected much than 100 interviews and investigation of assorted documents, concluded past period that Le Graët’s behaviour toward women was inappropriate, and highlighted different dysfunctions astatine the federation. It besides noted that its argumentation against gender-based and intersexual unit is “neither effectual nor efficient.”

The federation praised Le Graët’s “remarkable sporting and economical results” arsenic caput of the shot assemblage since 2011. It reiterated its “strong committedness against gender-based and intersexual violence” and sought to region itself from the audit.

Le Graët has had a beardown narration with FIFA president Gianni Infantino and helium volition proceed to enactment for FIFA's bureau successful Paris contempt lasting down.

Infantino appointed Le Graët successful January 2022 arsenic his idiosyncratic delegate to FIFA’s outer bureau successful Paris which includes liaising with subordinate federations successful Europe and Africa.

“The French Football Federation is doing a singular job,” Infantino said past twelvemonth successful announcing the appointment", and I often person the accidental to speech with Noël Le Graët to amended recognize however the illustration acceptable present successful France tin enactment shot improvement projects connected a planetary basis.”

Le Graët is besides a campaigner to clasp his €235,000-a-year spot connected FIFA’s ruling assembly which is elected by UEFA subordinate federations.

Despite the contention surrounding the French shot body, Le Graët has not publically withdrawn his candidacy to basal successful a 5 April ballot astatine the UEFA Congress successful Lisbon, Portugal. His scheduled hostile is Fernando Gomes, a UEFA vice president from Portugal.